PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Families in Philadelphia affected by violent gun crimes are calling for officials to get a handle on the crisis.
“My 18-year-old son was murdered in a case of mistaken identity,” said Movita Johnson-Harrell, a former Pennsylvania state representative.
“My brother was murdered, shot in the back seven times,” said Chantay Love, founder of the Every Murder is Real (EMIR) Healing Center.
“My 24-year-old son was shot seven times over a parking space,” said Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight, founder of Mothers in Charge.
Mothers, sisters, grandmothers and anti-violence activists came together Wednesday at City Hall, demanding more from the city to prevent gun violence.
“We need more than 100 cameras. We need 5- or 600 cameras in the city to capture what is happening. And not only do we need cameras, we need drones,” Johnson-Speight said.
“It’s not about us. We lost our children. We can’t bring them back,” she said, “but we maybe can help save yours.”
Related
During the meeting, EMIR Healing Center’s Love got word that City Council is putting $184 million toward gun violence prevention and intervention.
“What we’re asking is that they fund culturally centered, trauma-informed not only counseling therapy, but alternative wellness across the city — restorative justice work that is also implanted in the community by community members.”